Catalyst
by Rigaldo
Summary: Where Obito dies in that fateful battle, and Madara needs someone else to fulfill his role. AU. Iwa/Uchiha/Naruto


Chapter 1: Assurance

**Disclaimer: Don't own** **Naruto**.

**First story…. so like here you go  
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**Unknown Location**

"He's becoming quite powerful; I hear Iwa flees at his mere mention now" said the plant like man. "Hn you speak as if I should be concerned." Replied the other person in a gnarled elderly tone. "Shouldn't you be? Konoha seems more powerful than ever, and that boy is dead." Silence. "Well?" "Perhaps you are right; it would seem I need to pay my old village a visit, and while I'm there I might as well kill two birds with… one… sto… now there's an idea."

**Konoha Uchiha District**

Young Reimu Uchiha was a fairly pretty girl in her late teens with long dark brown tresses and cute smile, but in all matters ninja she was average. Living alone in a remote section of the Uchiha district due to the deaths of her family during the war; there was nothing truly remarkable about her; nothing besides the fact that she became acquainted with Minato Namikaze during the academy, and that the last thing she will ever remember is staring into a pair of red eyes. It took a while before her disappearance was noted, but not too long into the search it was called off; with no leads or evidence of any sort it was soon forgotten due to more pressing matters.

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**Small town near Northwestern Fire Country border**

Minato Namikaze was a name that was on everyone's lips these days in either awe or fear; no doubt a result of his ruthless slaughter of countless Iwa nin. Due to his actions the third shinobi war came to a close much sooner than it would have otherwise, and with many fewer casualties than could have ever been hoped for on his side; this earned him much praise from his allies who elevated him to a near reverent status, and a grudging respect from his enemies... well most of them.

The man in question was returning from eliminating lingering remains of the once large Iwa fighting force, and had decided to stop in a border town for food other than rations for the first in a long time. Upon entering the town he's greeted by the scent of ramen; a smell he has developed a certain fondness for recently.

Locating the ramen stand he approaches and is greeted by the owner; a rather grizzled old man. "Hey there young man what can I… Hey you look kind of like..."the old man squints his eyes for a better look, and gasps in surprise. "You're the Yellow Flash!" he exclaims loudly alerting the various other patrons who begin murmuring excitedly. Minato scratches the back of his head with a nervous grin on his face "Eh yeah that's me" he said in reply. "Well I'll be damned a living legend all the way out here; to what do we owe the honor Namikaze-sama?" said the old man awestruck.

"I just finished dispatching a few stragglers; so I was on my way back to Konoha before I stopped here and was lured in by the smell, and Namikaze-san is fine I'm just a regular guy" replied Minato dismissively. "Hoho modest are we? A trait found in any true hero!" shot back the old man with a wide smile. Minato laughed him off good naturedly "A bowl of ramen would be nice" said Minato reaching into his pocket before the old man waved him off "Heroes eat free here Namikaze-sama what'll you have?" Said the old man with his ever present grin "One beef and one miso please" replied Minato talking to the old man before they were interrupted by a third voice.

"Long time no see 'Namikaze-sama'" said the smirking dark haired girl sitting a few stools away."Reimu? Is that you? What are you doing here?" said Minato surprised at seeing an old acquaintance such as her there. "I was supposed to be meeting up with a nearby patrol soon." Said Reimu nonchalantly. "Oh, well why stop here then?" Minato asked curiously. "The nearest patrol is still quite a few miles away." Reimu is silent for a few moments staring at Minato with a vacant look in her eyes; she closes them masking a flash of red, and reaches into a bag she brought along with her. "The war is over it's only a matter of eliminating the radicals who refuse to accept it; as far as everyone back home is concerned you're Hokage in all but name already, and besides I hear you and Kushina-chan are finally together" she said pulling out a bottle of sake and two saucers.

"I believe that is cause for celebration" she stated opening her now clear eyes and teasing in an exaggerated tone "Unless your already ordering me around Hokage-sama." Minato looks at her oddly for a bit at first then smiles fondly at the red heads mention, and takes the bottle and saucers from her before filling them both. "I guess that is celebration worthy… are you okay? You seem different than I remember." She gives a sultry smirk and bats her eyes before replying "Why Hokage-sama are you checking me out? I don't think Kusina-chan would approve." Minato blanches and goes white before quickly saying in return.

"No! Of course not; I wouldn't survive the results of her thinking I'm doing anything like that." Taking a sip to calm his nerves he notices something. "Hey Reimu this sake tastes a little odd" Minato says cringing slightly. "It's an import I was saving it for a special occasion ; don't worry about the taste you'll learn to like it after a few more sips." Reimu said smiling amusedly. "Here you are Namikaze-sama! one miso and one beef ramen on the house" said the grinning old man returning from the kitchen.

"Thanks uhm…" "Just call me old man" he says noticing Minato struggling for a name "everyone else does" he states with a grin before walking back to the kitchen "right thanks old man…hic!" Minato looks around dazedly saucer long forgotten in place of the bottle finding its way into his hand sake induced blush on his face; before remembering he's not sitting alone. "You know Reimu…hic! I take back what I said this tastes amazing!" Minato exclaims while making exaggerated hand motions to keep from falling off of his stool.

Reimu giggles in understanding "told you so blondie… hey its getting kind of late mind walking me to my room at the inn it's not too far." Minato just nods dumbly and follows Reimu as she exits the ramen stand; too far gone to remember his order. A short time later they arrive just outside Reimu's door; Minato stumbling along in a drunken stupor. "Hey Reimu…hic!...got any more of that…hic!... sake?" Reimu opens the door and turns around staring at Minato with red ringed eyes; she smiles at him invitingly and replies "of course its inside come in I'll get you some" Minato steps inside and Reimu closes the door behind him.

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**Next Day**

"Ughh I feel like shit" says Minato waking up with a gargantuan hangover. Looking around he notices he's alone in a hotel room naked. "What the hell? How did I wind up here?" Thinking back he is greeted with vague images of the previous afternoon. "Oh fuck did I…no that's not possible we couldn't have…" Trying to rationalize it he embraces denial and prays to kami nothing comes from this. "No it's not possible I would never do that" smiling nervously but more confident now he dresses and leaves for Konoha hoping to forget about this, and he will… for quite some time.

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**9 Months later Iwa Tsuchikage's Office**

Ōnoki was a man who was well known for many things throughout his fairly long life; some of which he loved to be reminded of due to his prideful nature; things such as being the Sandaime Tsuchikage, being the only Jinton user in the world, and being one of very few ninja who can boast coming out of battle with Madara Uchiha himself and surviving. However, there are other things he is just as well known for that he would rather not be reminded about; things such as his abnormally short height, bulbous nose, quick temper, and stubbornness.

Right now it was that legendary stubbornness that had him sitting at his desk glaring down at a piece of paper bearing the mark of Konoha the village he hated more than any other; lead by the recently proclaimed Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze the man he hated more than any other. "That bastard!" shouts Ōnoki in a rage. "It's not enough that he decimated my forces but now he has the gall to mock me by demanding a ludicrous amount of reparations in this shit rag he calls a peace agreement!"

In his anger Ōnoki failed to notice as one by one the anbu who surround his office were systematically rendered unconscious; and didn't realize anything was wrong until someone cleared their voice causing him to look up. Upon doing so he is greet with the sight of a cloaked individual with a cane attached to one gnarled hand, and a clothed bundle present in the other. "Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?!" Shouts Ōnoki in a surprised stupor; "It has been quite some time Ōnoki, but I would think you would better remember someone who has come so close to ending your life once before; perhaps this will help."

Said the man with a voice full of rasp before reaching up and pulling down his hood invoking an astonished gasp of surprise from Ōnoki "impossible; they said you died fighting Hashirama!" exclaimed the short man still in shock at the revelation. "I would have thought you'd been a shinobi long enough by now to know not to put too much stock in what others say without verifying it for yourself first; especially since they never found my body."

Was the reply he received from the man with the cane. "But I didn't come here to speak of the past only the future; I've heard you've been having problems with a certain village as of late, and I've come to offer you my aid" he said with a smirk. Ōnoki looks at him with suspicious eyes and says "do you think me a fool?" The Tsuchikage says recovering from his former shock at the man's appearance. "That I'll believe any old shit that spews from that decrepit mouth of…" The man taps his can on the floor causing it to develop crisscrossing cracks from the force, and silences Ōnoki by bringing the full might of his killing intent and a pair swirling red eyes to bear on him. "You forget yourself Ōnoki; Tsuchikage or no you are still nothing more than a child playing ninja compared to me!" snarls the elder man halting Ōnoki's tirade.

Satisfied with his silence the man speaks once more "I came here today to offer you the use of a future tool of mine" the old man said moving the bundle in his arms around into Ōnoki's line of sight "a tool I'm certain you will find a certain sense of satisfaction in making use of given recent developments. " Staring at the blonde haired babe presented to him Ōnoki lets out a sharp gasp of surprise his eyes widening in understanding "you mean he's…" not able to finish due to his sheer bewilderment he receives help from the withered old man.

"Yes this boy is of the Yondaime Hokage" states the old man as calmly as if he is remarking on the weather. Ōnoki his expression still bordering on disbelief begins to speak "How…why…wha.." but is interrupted by the elder man "It doesn't matter how he is here simply that he is; I am offering to allow him to stay here to be raised and trained as a shinobi of Iwa."

Finally recovering from the bombshell just dropped upon him Ōnoki looks at the man with a shrewd gaze his eyes full of suspicion "And why would you allow this I am not foolish enough to believe you gain nothing from this" the Tsuchikage says awaiting a response. "This boy will have a vital role to play in future events; someday he will assure my plans come to fruition, and someday he will be my catalyst." Replied the man with a faraway look in his crimson red eyes; before he turned his head to look at the child who had recently awoken, and was babbling incoherently. Crimson met bright blue for a brief moment; the child quieted and a faint red ring surrounded his eyes before disappearing and leaving the child asleep. Refocusing his attention on Ōnoki the old man places the child on his desk along with a rather large scroll that he pulled from his cloak.

"The scroll contains answers to question you will not be able to provide him with, and techniques you will not be able to teach. Don't bother trying to read it yourself only one with the sharingan can gain anything from it." Raising a hand to quiet another another surprised outburst at that he continued. "It will be quite some time before I will require him for my plans; until then do with him what you wish. Bestow upon him your hatred of his father, use him to regain Iwa's lost glory by playing the same role his father played for Konoha; as long as he becomes strong I care not how you raise him." The old man begins to walk away but stops looking at the child one last time before turning and leaving in an unnatural spiral of power; his voice echoing one last time. "The boys name is Shoku."


End file.
